Examples of metal foam applications:

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Metal foams generate new ideas, therefore in this articles you will discover some cases where the new metal foam (with open Kelvin cells) technology brings innovative and efficient solutions. In these cases, we used metal foam in aluminum, steel or copper.

Mechanic applications:

Shock absorption

Since the invention of metal foams, the main application is shock absorption and it is also the case for the Alvéotec’s metal foam. For this application, the main benefit is that metal foam with regular shape made by Alvéotec has a homogeneous and multidirectional shock absorption capability, as you can see on the following figures:

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Mechanic and phonic vibrations absorption

As we will see in this report, metal foam can be used as an insert. Thus, the bi-material created may become a suspension system with metal foam and elastomeric benefits.

Furthermore, we can obtain an efficient phonic absorption, if we choose a correct elastomeric material. Indeed, we can combined metal foam and polymeric foam performances by adding inserts bigger than polymeric pores (polymeric pores< Ø1mm).

Reducing weight

For years, reducing weight is one of the main issues for designers and manufacturers. Therefore, several ways have already been explored such as sandwich materials. It consists on placing a lighter and cheaper material between two parts of heavier and more expensive material. The middle material is often a polymeric material and the contact between the two materials often creates problems such as separations, differential expansion…

Thanks to metal foam technology we can create products similar to sandwich material but there is a substantial difference. Indeed, we can produce the part in only one step, in one block. If we produce it in aluminum, the core of the product has a density of 0.27 and the surface has a rigidity rate of 2.7. Consequently, we can avoid differential expansion and problems of separations, besides we keep benefits of sandwich materials.

We can produce several types of heat exchanger with metal foam, indeed metal foam structures can be used as a plate exchanger, multichannel exchanger, tubular exchanger or exchanger with cooling fins. Using a metal foam structure will increase performance and reduce size of the heat exchanger.

For heat exchanger applications, the main benefits are:

No thermal bridge

The flow has a longer course to increase exchange rate

Flow rate is faster, thus there is more heat exchange

Less pressure losses

Besides, it is possible to design a solution with benefits of metal foam and tubular technologies. As you can see on the following picture, it creates a longer course:

Filtration

It is also possible to create filters with variable geometry. If pores are smaller in the middle of the filter filtration flow will be constant and use more pores.